Lessons on American Presidents.com
  Handout + MP3 + 8 Online Quizzes on James Madison

facebook logo  


      HOME

Help support
this website
Please consider
a
Donation

My e-Book
1,000 Ideas
& Activities for
Language Teachers

E-mail this site
to a friend,
student or colleague

 

star pictureTHE ARTICLE

James Madison was the fourth President of the United States. He was born in 1751 in Virginia, the oldest of twelve children. He studied history and government at Princeton (then called the College of New Jersey). He was well read in law, which he studied because he thought it was interesting, not because he wanted to become a lawyer. He is known as the “Father of the Constitution”.

Madison started out in politics at an early age. He served in the Virginia state legislature from 1776 to 1779 and became known as a protégé of Thomas Jefferson. During this time, he helped draft the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. He served a second term in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1784 to 1786. He gained a reputation for his ability to build coalitions.

Madison was 36 when he attended the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia and made a major contribution to its ratification. He felt he hadn’t earned the title of "Father of the Constitution" and wrote that it was not "the offspring of a single brain, but the work of many heads and many hands”. In Congress, he helped frame the Bill of Rights and enact the first revenue legislation.

Madison served as President between 1809 and 1817. He led America into the War of 1812 to try to end British interference in American affairs. The war ended in 1815 and is often called “the Second War of American Independence”. After the war he promoted a stronger national government and signed a bill that created the Second Bank of the United States. He died at the age of 85 in 1836.

Article adapted from www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/jamesmadison

         
         From www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents

star picture LISTENING GAP FILL

James Madison was the fourth President of the United States. He was born in 1751 in Virginia, ______________________ children. He studied history and government at Princeton (then called the College of New Jersey). ______________________, which he studied because he thought it was interesting, not because he wanted to become a lawyer. ______________________ “Father of the Constitution”.

Madison started out in politics at an early age. He served in the Virginia ______________________ from 1776 to 1779 and became known as a protégé of Thomas Jefferson. During this time, he helped draft the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. He ______________________ in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1784 to 1786. He gained a reputation for his ______________________.

Madison was 36 when he attended the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia ______________________ contribution to its ratification. He felt he hadn’t earned the title of "Father of the Constitution" and wrote that it was not "______________________ single brain, but the work of many heads and many hands”. In Congress, he helped frame the Bill of Rights ______________________ revenue legislation.

Madison served as President between 1809 and 1817. He led America into the War of 1812 to try to end British interference in American affairs. ______________________ 1815 and is often called “the Second War of American Independence”. After ______________________ stronger national government and signed a bill that created the Second Bank of the United States. He died at ______________________.


star picture  CORRECT THE SPELLING

James Madison was the fourth President of the United States. He was born in 1751 in Virginia, the dtolse of twelve children. He studied history and government at Princeton (then called the College of New Jersey). He was well read in law, which he sidtedu because he thought it was interesting, not because he wanted to become a lawyer. He is knwno as the “Father of the Constitution”.

Madison started out in spcoilti at an early age. He served in the Virginia state legislature from 1776 to 1779 and became known as a protégé of Thomas Jefferson. During this time, he helped ratdf the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. He served a second term in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1784 to 1786. He gained a reputation for his ability to bliud coalitions.

Madison was 36 when he attended the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia and made a jamor contribution to its ratification. He felt he hadn’t earned the title of "Father of the Constitution" and wrote that it was not "the offspring of a isnleg brain, but the work of many heads and many hands”. In Congress, he helped frame the Bill of Rights and nteca the first revenue legislation.

Madison served as President between 1809 and 1817. He led America into the War of 1812 to try to end British interference in American afisraf. The war ended in 1815 and is often called “the Second War of American Independence”. After the war he promoted a gnrerots national government and insegd a bill that created the Second Bank of the United States. He died at the age of 85 in 1836.


star picture  UNJUMBLE THE WORDS

James Madison was the fourth President of the United States. He was born in 1751 the , Virginia in children twelve of oldest. He studied history and government at Princeton (then called the College of New Jersey). read he in He law was , well which studied because he thought it was interesting, not because he wanted to become a lawyer. “ is Father known of as the the He Constitution”.

at started an out early in age politics Madison. He served in the Virginia state legislature from 1776 to 1779 and became known as a protégé of Thomas Jefferson. During this time, he helped Virginia for Freedom the Statute Religious draft. He served a second term in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1784 to 1786. ability coalitions a his build gained for to He reputation.

Madison was 36 when he attended the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia its to contribution major a made and ratification. He felt he hadn’t earned the title of "Father of the Constitution" and wrote that of brain not offspring single was the a it ", but the work of many heads and many hands”. In Congress, he helped enact Bill the of first Rights frame and the revenue legislation.

Madison served as President between 1809 and 1817. He led America into the interference try War to of end 1812 British to in American affairs. The and war is ended often in called 1815 “the Second War of American Independence”. After the war he government signed a national and promoted stronger a bill that created the Second Bank of the United States. He died at the age of 85 in 1836.


star picture  DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

1.

________________________________________________________

2.

________________________________________________________

3.

________________________________________________________

4.

________________________________________________________

5.

________________________________________________________

6.

________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

1.

________________________________________________________

2.

________________________________________________________

3.

________________________________________________________

4.

________________________________________________________

5.

________________________________________________________

6.

________________________________________________________


star picture  STUDENT JAMES MADISON SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about James Madison in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

 

STUDENT 1

_____________

STUDENT 2

_____________

STUDENT 3

_____________

Q.1.

 

 

 

 

Q.2.

 

 

 

 

Q.3.

 

 

 

 

Q.4.

 

 

 

 

Q.5.

 

 

 

 

  • Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.
  • Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

star picture  WRITING

Write about James Madison for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________


star picture  HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET INFO: Search the Internet and find more information about James Madison. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about James Madison. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. JAMES MADISON POSTER Make a poster about James Madison. Show it to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your posters.

5. MY JAMES MADISON LESSON: Make your own English lesson on James Madison. Make sure there is a good mix of things to do. Find some good online activities. Teach the class / another group when you have finished.

6. ONLINE SHARING: Use your blog, wiki, Facebook page, MySpace page, Twitter stream, Del-icio-us / StumbleUpon account, or any other social media tool to get opinions on James Madison. Share your findings with the class.

star picture ANSWERS

    You can check your answers to these activities by looking at the article at the top of this page.

star picture Sean Banville's Other Materials Websites

I also have thousands of other lessons on my other websites.

star picture Free ESL Materials Website

Free ESL Materials.com: A site containing links to free materials for ESL teachers and students.

star picture Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider a Donation.
  • Recommend the site on blogs, forums and other sites.
  • Link this site.
  • Consider buying my 1,000 Ideas and Activities book.


Links | Copyright © 2011-2023 by Sean Banville | Privacy Policy

Creative Commons Licence
Lessons on American Presidents.com is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.lessonsonamericanpresidents.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at sean [at] lessonsonamericanpresidents.com.